Ask The Fangirl: Everything you need to know about the Backstreet Boys Cruise

The sixth Backstreet Boys cruise takes off next May and presales begin on Tuesday for former cruisers and Backstreet Boys fan club members. To say the least, this might be the biggest cruise yet.

So with news breaking about the cruise, we have gotten a few questions about the Backstreet Boys cruise. Considering I’ve been on three of five so far, I thought I would answer the questions.

Here we go:

What are the BSB Cruises like? Is it overwhelming crowds of pushy fans the entire time? BTW, your site is really great!! – Christine (@xochrstne)

Casino Royale Night on the 2016 cruise

One word: Crazy. I did not know what to expect the first time I cruised in 2011 and to be honest, each cruise is a little different, but it’s all crazy.

I mean, you’re on a boat with hundreds of other fans and I like to say that the cruise is like a three of four-day concert. I’ve rarely slept on one of the cruises. Maybe a catnap here or a catnap there. I would recommend it to any fan. Every fan should do it at least once.

As for fans being pushy, the majority of the time, they have not been. The European cruise was a little more intense, but it was different. I feel like fans may have been a little more passionate on that cruise than the others. But overall, they are not pushy.

How much we spend with the cruise on average? Counting all. – Lillian (@LilianSouza87)

Well, it’s hard to say. It depends on what kind of room you book and how many people are in the room.

Meet and Greet photo for the 2016 cruise

For instance, you and two others are going to share a room that is $1099 a person. That means each of you have to pay that $1099. That includes all of your food (except in specialty places) and the use of the gym, pools, etc. Now on top of that, you have to pay a tax. Before it was $249. For some reason, this year it’s $329. So between your $329 fees and your $1099 room, you’re looking at around $1,500.

And remember, that does not include transportation to and from the port, or to Miami in general. You will need to book flights (hello, Southwest!) and think about a hotel room the night before and possibly the night you get off unless you decide to fly back that day. It’s better to be in Miami the day before the cruise incase your flight, etc. makes you miss boarding the boat.

Hi Karah-Leigh! I’ve been a BSB fan for 19 years and still have YET to see the boys. This upcoming cruise might be the first time doing anything BSB related for me and I’m nervous as heck about it. My question is, how should I prepare myself for getting to meet the boys for the first time? (P.S. I love this idea about answering our “fangirl” questions! It’s been quite helpful.) – Samantha (@bsb_luv89)

Now meeting the boys at a normal meet and greet and then meeting them on the cruise is two different things. Whereas a meet and greet, you get to exchange a few words, hug, smile for the camera and tada, on the cruise you could actually stand there and have a conversation with one of the Backstreet Boys if you’re in the right place at the right time. The meet and greet photo on the cruise is basically like a normal meet and greet, but if you’re lucky, you could end up with selfies with each of the boys.

One thing though that my friends and I realized after the last cruise in Europe, try to enjoy the cruise instead of making selfies your primary focus. There were a lot of people who were focusing solely on that to the point that Brian pointed out how nice it was for someone to ask to take a selfie instead of just throwing the camera in his face. Enjoy the moment. Treat them respect and you’ll have all of their respect. Trust me. That motto is true when it comes to these guys. That’s really my biggest piece of advice for meeting them the first time.

The first real time I met Nick, people were crowding around him after a concert and I simply walked up beside him with my “I Got You” single CD and said, “Nick will you autograph this for me please?” He ignored the pushy people, looked at me and said, “Sure baby,” and autographed it, thanking me before continuing to walk away.

Respect is really the key word.

What is it like meeting the Backstreet Boys? I never meet them before they seem really nice. – Danielle

Meeting the Backstreet Boys was something that I never thought would happen for me. It’s really just like meeting anybody else though. Like I just said in the question above, they are normal people just like someone you would run into at the grocery store. They just happen to be hella talented and hella hot. It’s one of my favorite things to do, though. Especially when they remember you. 🙂

BONUS #ASKTHEFANGIRL QUESTION

So I’ve been a Backstreet Boys fan my whole life 🙂 and I’ve also Now Recently become a fan of NKOTB I know I’m prob late on that one lol So how long does it take to you to fully be considered a Blockhead too lol or do you have any advice on being apart of The NKOTB fandom – Catie (@catie_bear_1)

Girl you are a lifetime late with NKOTB, but hey, you can never really be too late, can you? I guess my piece of advice is to not try to out know the hardcore, lifelong Blockheads. Just ease into it. They are passionate as hell, seriously.

About Karah-Leigh

I'm a 30-something year old fangirl from Georgia, but basically grew up in Florida. I'm a journalist and designer in my spare time (aka professional work time) and fangirl 24/7. Nick Carter owns me and Joey McIntyre has had my heart since 1987. I've been obsessed with "Friends" since 1995 and love Jay and Silent Bob.

The Fangirl

I'm a 30-something-year-old fangirl from Georgia who loves tiaras, cats, boy bands and country music. I'm a journalist, writer and media expert who loves binge-watching TV shows. The Backstreet Boys own my heart and soul. And Nick Carter said I know more about him than he does. [ Meet Karah ]